Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-01-30
CHAPTER II.

Joe Western, white with flour, white faced,
white handed, and with his hair more inlly
powdered than any footman at the hall:
He did not, OF course, live IN the mil
he lived in a low brick house, one story
high. rooted with tiles, a bowshot OH the
mill. On the red ROOF, turned to q warm
brown age, grew patches of stonecrop OF q
Golden yellow. The cottage had a bit Of
Garden round it, surrounded by a ditch
fringed with willows. The garden formed
an OblOng patch, apparently taken ou'
from a field. This was, however, not the
ease. The garden and house Of the miller
were older by at least a hundred years than
the field, which had been inclosed within
the memory of man from what had been
common. Long before the oldest man
could tell of having heard by older men
before him, there had been = windmill on
Ring moor, and the miller's cottage had
stood where it stands still. Ring moor was
moor no mOre-it vas all inclosed, and
cultivated, and drained.
In the cottage Joe Western lived with
his mother. His father was dead. He had
fallen one day, when drunk, from the steps
that led ND into the mill, and had broken,
As folk said, every bone in his body. This
WAS an exaggeration, Hs had-brOken two
or three, but one was enough to settle hun
his skuIi, which struck q stone. -
When old Miller Western died Joe was
nineteen years old. Weighty responsible
titles rested on him. He had his mother
10 maintain, his own future TO determine.
He MIS- advised BY all his fathers friends
TO throw up the mill, as beyond the bust
ness mowers OF a beardlesS boy. How could
a Lad without a hair on his chin-wlth
only down on his chin-With only down
on his upper lip-eOnduct Il mill? Joe was
4 silent fellow, very se~lf-eOntained and re-
served. He listened to advice, and did not
combat the reasoning of his advisers. what
could he say? Nothing but time could
grow the necessary hair on his iace when
would capacitate him, in public estimation
for carrying on the mill. lie had broad
shoulders; he put them undo the burden
without a word, and pursued his own
course. He kept on the mill
Joe had been brought up TO the business,
and he knew its ms and outs thoroughly;
when his father had been tipsey, Joe had
had 10 manage without him. Now he was
dead, Joe would manage without him.
Joe was so reserved, so cold, that the
neighbOrs could not make him out. lie
sowed no wild oats. He sOwed nothing but
the sweat of his brow. The man who had
served his father-a reserved fellow, handy
and obliging, butnOt very sober-letth him
The Young eOckerel is well enough"
said he, ''but he don't crow. | cant get
on with q chap who hasn't q word to say, "
A case of conscience arose in the neigh
borhOOd, 1t was doubted whether 1t were
right to continue dealing with \ miller
without a beard on his chin; but partly
from Incidence and dislike of change, and
nlrtly because there was no other mill near,
the old customers did not fulfil there threat
of leaving, and Joe Western soon acquired
fresh eustomers-he gave good measure.
His hand did not 90 into the bag too often,
or had not so big a grasp as that oil ms Ia
Their, Moreover, he did not mix inferior
grain with the good seut him.
Mrs. Western was u quiet old woman,
with n great love for her son, not un-
mixed with fear. Even she thought 1t
was strange, unnatural for one of Joe's
ave TO be so taciturn so resolved, so unso'
cable.
She shook her head and sighed to her
! friends, Joe is q good lad, good rs gold,
| without vice of any sort in him. He'll
7 never marry, that's certain, and a pity II
il. He would nowhere find a young wo'
l man serious enough to suit him. They're
I all giddy pates nowadays, thinking OF moth
ing but dress, putting all their wages on
their backs. .
That would never do for Joe, he is al
for saving. They like chattering; he hardly
| ever talks. They are all for laughing anC
2 singing and dancing. | never hear hin
shout or laugh, he scarce smiles, but goes
as quietly at his work like q machine. |
were not his mother | should find ii dul
here with him, and don't know what
should do without the pigs and the poultry
J Did YOU ever befyre see any one who neve
/ talked except he'd got something to say
/ NV Joe don't, and that would not cOnten
t o young woman
! One day when q fresh northwest breez,
; was blowing, and the white clouds wcrt
| living over the sky, the mill wings Wen
whirliug withFgreat yigor, and the wln'
| rushed off them in SpOuts of cold air.
Happening TO go to the mill door, 10,
| was surprised and startled to see a littl,
. figure of a Girl turn out of the road, AM
| come over the short grass toward the mill
= with the eyes raised to the sails. Tn chllC
l came on unconscious OF danger, unaware
of the danger of approaching and coming
within the sweep of those mighty revOlv
ing wing.
Toe called to warn the child off; hut SHIT
? either did not hear. or ~diSre9arded the mo
= milton. Then, with a frOwn and an excla
|, nation of Impotence, Joe ran down thu
I steps, strobe over the turf. caught the chile
by the arm and roughly swung it aside.
What are you about here?', he asked
''Yoa might have been killed
The child was TriptOlema YellOwlea
Redeem.
Pm doing no HARM" she said, un
dauntedly. 'Tm not going to eat tn,
; mill"
THE mill was nigh on grinding yOu.'
She started at him.
What n lovely child she was, with thOs'
. large dark eyes and that abundant fail
hair,
> "You be OIL, and trespass here no more, >
he said.
~ want q fly she said; II am goln!
!. mp on one OF those great wings. Stop then
: for me 10 climb on 10 one"
4 1t was now JOe'S place to stand anC
:. stare. The child's bright eyes were full a
. eagerneSS, the cheeks were flushed, anC
her hair, almost width in the sun, blew
= about her head in the wind like %.cottOr
grass.
lyon little donkey" was all he said
go"
, Then he moved to 90 back to the mill
4 II am going to fly" she said, resOlutely
II will go up
Joe considered a moment, then he wen
I into the weighing house under the mill
: and brought out a whip. do you SCI
] thisr'
Eyes"
g, "What do | use il for?"
Driving donkeys."
VERY well, I'll use it on you, if YOU
don't go"
| Pm not adonkey-Tm an angel, mother
save m op1 opUals fly am UninU IL